Goa: New emergency app to report fire, accidents

Panaji, April 15: You may not need to place that frantic call, in case of a fire or emergency in Goa as a new app will do the needful from now on.

Just a few taps on your smartphone and the fire engine will be right at the spot with its hoses and chainsaw ready, thanks to the app - the first of its kind in India, which will go operational soon.

Speaking to IANS, Shripad Gawas, fire officer in-charge of communication at the Goa Fire and Emergency Services, said the app would be fully operational in a few days and would be compatible with mobile phones with an Android operating system.

"It is a GPS enabled app, which helps you pinpoint the location of the emergency and once done, alerts the nearest fire tenders and personnel available to the spot," Gawas said.

He added that the Goa Fire Services and Emergency Services was the first such government agency in the country to come up with an app for fire and emergency services.

The app has been developed for the Goa fire and emergency services by the Safety Centre located at Indian Institute of Technology, Gandhinagar.

"The app is still being fine-tuned and because it is a first of a kind service, it will improve based on the feedback we get," Gawas said.

IANS